Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America

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dc.contributor.advisorLouw-Potgieter, Johaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorBoodhoo Beebee Adiilah, Ibrahimen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-20T13:55:54Z
dc.date.available2017-09-20T13:55:54Z
dc.date.issued2017en_ZA
dc.description.abstractResponding to recent calls in the literature for cross-country comparisons of evaluation practice, this simulation study investigated (a) evaluators' perspectives on what determines a programme's evaluability, (b) what criteria evaluators prioritise when assessing a programme's evaluability, and (c) the degree to which practice context (developing, developed, or both) and self-reported levels of evaluation experience predict programme evaluability decisions. Valid responses from evaluators practising in the United States of America (n = 94), the United Kingdom (n = 30), Brazil (n = 91) and South Africa (n = 45) were analysed. Q factor analyses using data collected via a Q Sort task revealed four empirically distinct evaluability perspectives. The dominant perspectives were labelled as theory-driven and utilisation-focused. Correspondence analyses demonstrated that participants used different criteria to assess the evaluability of three fictitious evaluation scenarios. Multinomial regression analyses confirmed that practice context and level of experience did not predict the type of evaluability criterion prioritised in any of the scenarios. Evaluators practising in developed countries were more likely to characterise a programme with robust structural features, unfavourable stakeholder characteristics, and unfavourable logistical conditions as evaluable with high difficulty than as evaluable with medium difficulty. Evaluators with limited experience were more likely than unlikely to embark on an evaluation of such a programme. This study represents the first empirical investigation of how evaluators from selected developed and developing countries assess programme evaluability.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationBoodhoo Beebee Adiilah, I. (2017). <i>Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25260en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationBoodhoo Beebee Adiilah, Ibrahim. <i>"Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25260en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationBoodhoo Beebee Adiilah, I. 2017. Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Boodhoo Beebee Adiilah, Ibrahim AB - Responding to recent calls in the literature for cross-country comparisons of evaluation practice, this simulation study investigated (a) evaluators' perspectives on what determines a programme's evaluability, (b) what criteria evaluators prioritise when assessing a programme's evaluability, and (c) the degree to which practice context (developing, developed, or both) and self-reported levels of evaluation experience predict programme evaluability decisions. Valid responses from evaluators practising in the United States of America (n = 94), the United Kingdom (n = 30), Brazil (n = 91) and South Africa (n = 45) were analysed. Q factor analyses using data collected via a Q Sort task revealed four empirically distinct evaluability perspectives. The dominant perspectives were labelled as theory-driven and utilisation-focused. Correspondence analyses demonstrated that participants used different criteria to assess the evaluability of three fictitious evaluation scenarios. Multinomial regression analyses confirmed that practice context and level of experience did not predict the type of evaluability criterion prioritised in any of the scenarios. Evaluators practising in developed countries were more likely to characterise a programme with robust structural features, unfavourable stakeholder characteristics, and unfavourable logistical conditions as evaluable with high difficulty than as evaluable with medium difficulty. Evaluators with limited experience were more likely than unlikely to embark on an evaluation of such a programme. This study represents the first empirical investigation of how evaluators from selected developed and developing countries assess programme evaluability. DA - 2017 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 2017 T1 - Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America TI - Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25260 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/25260
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationBoodhoo Beebee Adiilah I. Evaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Commerce ,Organisational Psychology, 2017 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/25260en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentOrganisational Psychologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Commerceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherOrganisational Psychologyen_ZA
dc.titleEvaluator characteristics and programme evaluability decisions: an exploratory study of evaluation practice in South Africa, Brazil, the United Kingdom, and the United States of Americaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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